Tippy Chocolate Labrador Retriever Female 6 Years Old ID#3040

Tippy is a 6 year old, chocolate farm girl who had her last singleton pup in November, and is ready to put her breeding days behind her. Please read her blog from the bottom up to learn more about her.

May 1, 2022

Tippy here!! Saying hi to all my friends of Brookline!

Tippy has been with us over 7 weeks now and things are progressing. She has now gotten used to my son and husband and is learning to trust them.

She is loving the beautiful weather we’ve been having recently and gardened with me all day yesterday. She was right by my side and only startled slightly
if I made a sudden move. I looked over later to see her and Hannah laying in the garden. Tippy chose to plop herself directly on top of a plant with her stuffed alpaca and soak up the sun.She’s been playful with toys and loves all the interactive toys. She is now getting up on the couch when we’re not in the room. She is eating every meal indoors
and has not had a single accident. She does steps beautifully and loves to run in the yard. She is fearful when the harness/leash is put on but wags her tail for
the entire walk.This morning was a big break through – As I was eating breakfast, I felt a head on my knee and when I dropped my hand, she put her face in my hand to be petted. A First!!! She stayed by my side as long as I petted her. This was the first time she opened up enough to seek affection. She still loves to be brushed and loves treats. Earlier this week, Tippy looked at me and took a piece of chicken from my hand.

April 21, 2022

Good morning!  Tippy has been with us for six weeks now. We have discovered some new facets to her personality. Despite being skittish and anxious around people, Tippy has been seeking out affection when there is thunder/lightning. Our Hannah knows when a storm is coming and wants to be right up against me for comfort. Tippy has been joining her and has allowed me to pet and hold her. I’m sorry it took a storm for her to seek affection, but it’s a step towards trusting and bonding. Also, my son had several friends over a few nights ago. Tippy usually shows more anxiey around men but she was in the kitchen laying by the frig with all the tall young men near her. It was storming that night but we were happy to see her among us.I found that she really enjoys being brushed and even let me furminate her! By the time I was done (it took 4 days) I filled a trash bag. At least the farm is off her now and her beautiful chocolate coat is shiny. She had her first experience with a ceiling fan when we had the heat wave last week. Definitely NOT something she likes. She tried to crawl behind the entertainment center so we won’t be turning on any fans while she’s in our home. She kept looking up as if it was going to come down and attack her. We’ve also had a spring-crazy robin dive-bombing one of the windows in the family room where Tippy makes her nest. She was initially very frightened but is calmer now that she sees that the crazy bird can’t hurt her.

Tippy is slowly improving on walks but is still skittish. She had her spay sutures out a week ago and has fully healed. The vet started her on Xanax to help her with her adjustment off the farm and to calm her fear of all the new things in her life. Hopefully it will help. She is a work in progress and will need a patient, kind person/family to see her through the rest of her journey. Tippy loves music and it seems to calm her. I haven’t decided if ABBA or classical is her favorite yet.We’ve made progress in having Tippy feel comfortable enough to eat her meals indoors. She won’t eat next to the other dogs yet. Her true personality and playful, happy side comes out when she’s outdoors running in the yard with the other dogs or when we leave the house. She follows the example of the other dogs. I thought it would be amusing to put a GoCam inside to see her antics one day. Her thefts of objects around the house has decreased since she’s been enjoying interactive toys. She loves the treat ball especially. Tippy will NEED another dog(s)  who is confident, playful, and submissive.  She would adjust better in a quiet without a lot of commotion. She would not do well with younger children. She is a high flight risk and has not produced on a walk yet. She would enjoy a secure fenced yard which would be preferable to help her settle and explore without fear. I believe that an electric fence would be traumatic to her and would not be recommended.

April 5, 2022

Tippy had her spay yesterday and is slowly recuperating. The staff at the vets office just loved her. She was very sweet. She allowed the male vet assistants to pet her which was  a nice change since she is very afraid of men.

Leading up to her spay, Tippy has been enjoying the lovely spring(ish) weather. She LOVED the toys from her gift box and has enjoyed taking the interactive treat toy (see picture) outside with her and burying it around the yard. Either Hannah or Boomer dig it up and the process is repeated…She has also discovered how much fun it is to yank out the solar lights in the garden and bring them inside to her bed. Also of interest is the napkin holder, ALL the napkins, and the placemats from the kitchen table. I mistakenly left the cabinet open that contains some older VHS tapes. I found these at the back door and a few in her bed (under the napkins). Every day’s a new adventure!We are slowly learning the type of home that Tippy will need. She is still very skittish and refuses to eat indoors. She is afraid of men but we are really hoping she comes around. On her walks, she is scared of cars and loud children. She is much more confident in the yard.  She will NEED another dog who is confident, submissive, and playful. She will also need a quiet home without a lot of commotion and no young children preferably in a country setting. As of now, she will need a fenced yard but this may change if she becomes more confident on a leash.

Stay tuned for more adventures with Tippy!

March 26, 2022

Good morning from Tippy!

Tippy has been with us for 2 weeks now. She has shown baby steps with her progress as she learns to trust us as well as her new surroundings. Life off the farm can be warm and comfortable with lots of treats but it’s still scary and an unknown factor.  Tippy has not had a single accident in the house and is so very gentle. She will make eye contact now without looking away and responds nicely to her name. She is still very skittish especially with my husband and son and I’m sure this will continue until she learns to trust humans.She absolutely LOVES the company of other dogs. Her personality opens up with them especially when they’re outside together. She has been rolling on her back with a smile on her face, leaping and prancing with the other dogs, initiating play, and barking happily at the children and dog walkers in the neighborhood. She is skittish at mealtimes and eats best when outside by herself (as she did on the farm). We will be working to overcome her fear of eating indoors. As Tippy becomes more comfortable indoors, she still spooks easily but is recovering much faster. Her safe spot is the dog bed and she gives a great sigh of relief when she lays down on it. She has not shown any aggression and loves her belly rubs.Tippy has been enjoying soothing music and seems to be happiest in a calm, quiet setting indoors. She is a sneakey but very cute hoarder- we’ve found some interesting things in her bed and have now made it a habit to try to guess what she may have stolen through the night. We’ve found a remote control, various dog toys and bones, dog bowls, the mat from under the dog bowls, and a screwdriver in her bed. She’s a collector!

March 15, 2022

Good morning from Tippy!

Another quiet peaceful night with no accidents. We came down to find that Tippy had her empty food and water bowls in the bed with her. Is she trying to tell me something? She was slow in eating her breakfast and then just picked up her bowl and put it in the bed with her. She finally finished it but of course made a mess of the dog bed.

She has been happily running in the yard and has had a good time meeting the neighbor’s dogs through the fence. She is also so excited to see the children getting on the school buses in the morning. She barks and runs up and down the fence with her tail wagging. So much excitement. All the dog walkers get the same greeting. Tippy is much more at ease outside than in. She continues to be skittish with us but we get glimpses of the dog that she can and will become. She met me at the back door with Hannah and Boomer when I came home yesterday for the first time with tail wagging. She wants to be petted but is afraid so I’m taking it very slooowly. Once Miss Tippy is more at ease in our home and comes out of her shell, she will have her spay surgery.

Enjoy the pictures- now we have a lab in (almost) every color! In one picture, Tippy is sticking her tongue out and then she’s smiling in the other.

March 14, 2022

Good morning, friends! Tippy here!

So…. we have a super hoarder in our midst. Last evening, Tippy began to steal and hoard every stuffed animal, squeaky toy, ball, bone, and trinket she could find. She slunk over to the toy box when she thought no one was watching, grabbed a toy, and stored it in the bagel bed. She did this all night until the box was empty and she barely had room in the bed to lay down. I removed them when she went out before bed and she seemed happy and much more comfortable with the added space to sleep. As I was shutting off the lights, I saw something out of the corner of me eye- Tippy grabbed Hannah’s very long stuffed snake and was slooooly dragging it from Hannah’s bed into her own.Tippy again slept peacefully through the night and has had no accidents. She refused dinner last night but ate a heart breakfast this morning. She finally ate in the kitchen but would only do this with Boomer out on his walk. She has been joining us in the kitchen more often which is so nice to see.  I hope to get a calming collar on her soon as she continues to creep out of her shell little by little. She is starting to really like belly rubs and has been flipping over when she sees me coming. Enjoy the pictures of little miss hoarder.

March 13, 2022

Good morning from Tippy!
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snowy slippery conditions could stop Autumn and Nelson from freeing Tippy from her farm life as a breeder mama yesterday. She had her last litter (only 1 pup) in November. She had her medical checkup, vaccinations and microchip at the VIP clinic at Pet Supplies Plus and then on home to meet the crew. Tippy was wonderful in the car and was calm for the entire ride. She seems to do well on the harness/leash and doesn’t pull. She was overjoyed to meet Hannah and Boomer when we got home and was wagging and running them them (see video).

She loved the snow and came right into the house with them. It took her no time to claim one of the comfy beds for her own.
Tippy is very skittish with humans and, for now, is more comfortable with women than men. She is just beginning to decompress and is very happy in her safe
spot on the dog bed by the fireplace. She started to finally make eye contact with me last night and has allowed me to gently pet her when I site on the hearth
by her side. She will not make eye contact with my husband yet. She refused to eat yesterday but happily ate her breakfast this morning. She will take treats but
holds them in her bed until (she thinks) no one is watching her, then eats them. She has ventured around the first floor only in the company of the other  dogs but
is scared when she sees either of us coming towards her. She will require patience and time to acclimate to life indoors.
She slept peacefully all night and has been enjoying the heat from the fire this morning. She happily runs outside with dogs and has done her business every time with no accidents in the house!  We’ve also found that Tippy likes to go to the toy box (when no one’s looking) and take a toy or bone and then keep it in the bed with her. It will be a happy day when we see the fear leave this beautiful girl’s eyes. Stay tuned…